


The Mermaid Socks Are Mama’s

by nemeadow



Category: Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Other, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:20:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27907372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nemeadow/pseuds/nemeadow
Summary: The Blythe family gets ready to visit the LaCroix's at Christmas time, from Walter's perspective.
Relationships: Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley
Comments: 5
Kudos: 41





	The Mermaid Socks Are Mama’s

The mermaid socks are Mama’s. They have words on them, but even though I can read, the big black loops don’t look like the letters I learned. If I didn’t know whose socks they were, I could still tell it was Mama coming into the kitchen because I can hear her singing a song from that Muppet Christmas show. It’s the song the ghost of Christmas presents sings. He’s the only ghost I like to see. The little girl makes me sad and the big one with the hood is scary. When that scary ghost came on, Daddy let me snuggle my face into his t-shirt, and he wrapped his button shirt over my head. Jem decided he was going to watch the whole thing this time, but I saw him scoot up close to Mama before I hid, so I don’t know if he really did. 

Mama’s feet are moving fast around the kitchen. I can hear her packing up all the treats we’ve been baking. I helped mash yams, and we all decorated cookies. Jem and I tried very hard to say nice things about Nan and Di’s frosting, but they mostly just dumped on sprinkles. At least my snowmen have white frosting, and smiles, and eyes. Mama showed us how to tear up fruit leather for scarves, too. She knows lots of good tricks like that. Most of the grown-ups will pretend that all the cookies look nice so that nobody’s feelings get hurt. But I hope Delly will notice how careful I was with mine. 

Daddy’s slippers come into the kitchen. They are blue on top and brown on the bottom, and the brown part flops around when he walks. Every time I see them, I get excited because I can’t wait to see how much he will like the new ones that I picked out for him for his present. I made him a funny card, too. They are under the tree in the parlor, with the notebook I picked for Mama because it has a fox on the cover. She had a fox friend when she was a little girl, so she always likes things with foxes on them. 

“Are you sure Nan had two boots when she last came in the door?” Daddy says. “Because if so, the boggart must have spirited one away. I’ve searched everywhere I can think of.”

The mermaid socks are still. Mama is thinking. “Actually,” she says, “I might have carried her in after our shopping trip. It could be hiding in the car.” The socks get very close to the slippers. “Though, honestly, the boggart explanation is just as logical in this house.”

“Of course,” Daddy’s voice is quieter. He and Mama must be very close. He sounds like he is smiling, “I am a man of science. Nothing could be more logical than a boggart here. It would be completely illogical to imagine this house was not enchanted.”

“Exactly.” I hear them kiss, “But maybe check the car, just in case.”

Daddy laughs and the slippers flop back out.

The socks are not far behind. I’m alone in the kitchen now, but I can hear Jem say, “All the presents are in the box now, Mama. Is it OK if I bring my tablet, just for the car?”

“Yes, but please leave it in the car when we get there. And let Walter watch, too.”

After a minute, I hear her call up the stairs, “Nan, Di, time to go!” 

“Daddy didn’t find my boot yet!” Nan sounds angry. I hear Mama’s voice answering her as she climbs the stairs, but I can’t tell what she is saying.

It’s quiet in the kitchen now. I close my eyes and take some breaths, with my hand on my tummy, like Auntie Mary showed us. I can feel the air fill me up, and then I let it out. I do it two more times. 

When Di comes in, I can see more than just her feet, because she is so small. She gets down and crawls under the table to me, laying her head on my chest. I look at her hair. It’s really orange, but we have to call it red. My hair is black, and we call it black. I pat her back. Then she sits up and says, “Time to go, Walter. Don’t you want to see Delly?” She’s trying to sound like a grown-up. Sometimes that’s annoying because I am bigger. I think she’s just excited this time. 

“I’m coming, Di. Just a minute.”

“Okay. Just ONE minute.” She holds up her finger and nods. Then she crawls back out and leaves.

I might wait more than one minute, but that’s okay, because she doesn’t know yet to count to sixty.

The mermaid socks come back, but this time they stand still at the edge of the table. Mama bends down to see me. Her face is smiling and her hair looks just like Di’s, but bigger. “Hey, snugglebug,” she says, “are you full enough of home to go yet? I need some help carrying all this food out.”

I smile so she’ll know I’m joking and shake my head. “I’m full enough of home, but I like it here. You have to drag me out.”

She pretends to be worried and shakes her head, “I don’t know. Last time I could barely do it, and you just keep getting bigger.” She looks at me like she’s trying to figure out if she’s strong enough. I know she is, but I am glad she knows I’m growing. “Well,” she says, “ I guess there’s just one way to find out. And besides, this floor could use a good cleaning.”

She gets the chairs out of the way, then grabs my arms and pulls. She slides me all around the kitchen floor. She’s saying things like, “Oh, I think I spilled some sugar over here; let’s get that!” and I am giggling because it feels fun to slide all over.

She stops when we hear Daddy yelling from the hallway, “Let’s go, let’s go! Coats on, boots on, help your mother with the food!”

Mama lets go of my arms and I jump up. I start to run out for my coat but she says “Wait!”. She brushes off my back and fluffs the back of my hair. 

Daddy comes in with his coat and boots already on. “Hey kiddo,” he says, “did you get all filled up with home?”

I hug his legs. “Yeah, I’m ready.” I let go of him so I can tell him, “I hope Delly likes my cookies, and Jem has to let me watch his tablet!” I run out to get my coat. 

**Author's Note:**

> ascopetoimagine had the brilliant idea of an AWAE advent calendar, and day 5 is "Do something creative!" This is my little story in response. I wrote it all in one day, so it's short and unedited. It's also tooth-rotting fluff, but that's because Walter deserves only sweet and wholesome things.


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